Corporate photography: what it includes, how to prepare the shoot and examples

What corporate photography is and what it is for

Corporate photography is the set of images a company uses to present itself to the world. They are not photos of one particular day but an archive used for months or years on the website, on LinkedIn, in presentations, press releases, sales proposals and job ads.

It serves a very simple purpose: to make whoever is looking trust you. When someone visits a company's website and sees real photos of its team and its space, they understand there are real people behind it. When they see stock photos, with people smiling in an office that could be anywhere, they sense something is off.

It also builds consistency. If everyone on the team has a different LinkedIn photo, one from a wedding, another cropped from a dinner, the company looks disorganised even if it is not. Photos with the same style, the same light and the same background convey the opposite.

And it saves time. A good, well-planned shoot provides material for a long time and avoids improvising with a phone every time someone asks for a photo for an interview, a talk or a press release.

On our page for companies, corporate photography goes hand in hand with video: the same people, the same space and the same style, so everything the company publishes is recognisable.

Types of corporate photography

When people talk about corporate photography, several things get mixed up. It helps to separate them, because each is prepared differently.

Headshots or individual portraits. The head-and-shoulders photo of each person, with a neutral background or the office blurred behind. It is used on LinkedIn, on the website's team page and in the press. The term comes from the acting world and has spread to companies.

Environmental portraits. The person in their workplace: in the lab, in the workshop, at their desk, in a meeting. They say more than a headshot and work very well in interviews, articles and service pages.

Team photo. The whole group or by department. It is the hardest to get right, because everyone has to look natural at the same time.

Facilities and spaces. Offices, reception, factory, lab, shop. They help people imagine working with or at the company.

Work in action. People doing what they do, without posing. It is the most versatile photography, because it serves the website, social media and recruitment.

Product. What the company sells, against a controlled background or in context. We explain it in how to make a product video, and the logic is the same for photos.

Events. Conferences, trade fairs, celebrations and internal conventions.

A full shoot can combine several types on the same day.

How to prepare a corporate photo shoot

A good shoot is decided before the photographer arrives. These are the steps we follow.

Make a shot list. Which people, which spaces, which situations and what they will be used for. A photo for the website header, usually horizontal with room for text, is not the same as one for LinkedIn, which is square and centred on the face.

Decide the style. Neutral background or real setting, soft light or more contrast, colour or a particular treatment. What matters is that it is the same for everyone, including whoever joins in six months' time.

Set a schedule. If twenty people need portraits, each needs a few minutes. A timetable by slots avoids queues and stops anyone losing the whole morning.

Prepare the spaces. Clear desks, hide visible cables and think about what is behind each shot. Something out of place is far more noticeable in a photo than in person.

Brief people. Which day, what time, what to wear and what the photos are for. Many people do not like being photographed; knowing in advance helps.

And think about video. If the whole team is ready and the space is tidy, it is the best day to also film some short pieces or interviews. We cover it in how to prepare for a corporate video shoot.

What to wear and how to look good in a corporate photo

It is one of the most frequent questions, and with good reason: most people feel uncomfortable in front of a camera. A few simple guidelines make a big difference.

Clothing. Plain colours without small patterns, which create strange effects on camera. Avoid pure white or total black if the background is that colour. Better to wear clothes the person feels comfortable in and that match how they normally work: there is no point in a blazer if nobody wears one at the office. If a consistent look is wanted, a colour range can be agreed for the whole team.

Grooming. Arrive as on a normal day, just a little more polished. Bring something to tidy hair. Avoid new glasses or a drastic haircut the day before.

During the shoot. The most important thing is conversation. A good photographer does not say "smile", they talk to the person until the smile comes on its own. Standing straight, shoulders slightly turned and chin slightly forward helps almost everyone.

Men or women, the guidelines are the same: naturalness, comfort and consistency with the rest of the team.

If someone also needs to appear on video or social media, it will help them to read how to speak to camera naturally, because being at ease on camera can be practised.

Examples of corporate photography from our work

A few examples of how corporate photography fits into a company's communication.

A technology company. For Qilimanjaro, a European quantum computing company based in Barcelona, we have photographed the team, the facilities and the lab, as well as producing more than fifteen videos. The challenge was to show real technology without oversimplifying it and to portray a team of scientists naturally. Those photos are used on their website, on LinkedIn and in the press.

A technical product company. With Audiovisuales Data we combined technical photography of the equipment with product videos and 3D renders for their digital catalogue.

Campaign portraits. In fashion, the portrait is central. For Jaray, by NouVelleMaison, we shot eight campaign portraits and more than forty product photos; for Ainhoa Uruñuela's collection for Stradivarius, more than forty lookbook photographs. The technique of directing someone so they look natural is the same in a fashion campaign as in a company headshot.

Product in volume. For Dr. Pizza we produced more than sixty product photographs for their campaign with Glovo, with food styling and lighting designed to make you hungry.

What they have in common: a style defined before shooting, and photos designed for where they will be used.

Where to hold the shoot and how we work

There are two options, and each has its advantages.

At your premises. It is the most convenient for the team and lets you portray people in their real environment. We set up a small portable studio for headshots in a meeting room, and the rest of the photos are taken around the space.

In a studio. Our studio in Viladecans, twenty minutes from Barcelona, has controlled backgrounds and lighting, ideal for neutral-background headshots, product photos or personal brand sessions. If you want a very polished image that does not depend on what your office looks like, a studio gives more control.

At Bostak Films we do corporate photography alongside video, with the same team and the same style. For companies that need photos and videos on an ongoing basis we have a monthly plan with credits: a photo session or the team's headshots is one more piece, just like an interview or a success story.

At Bostak, Albert Murillo's production company, we are your video production company in Barcelona for corporate photography and video. If you need to refresh the photos of your team, your space or your product, book a free diagnosis and we will suggest how to organise the shoot to get the most out of it.

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